We expect this program to sell out quickly. Only 10 spots available!

Program Description:

Join Seattle-based artist Talha Baig for a personalized watercolor workshop atop a viewpoint overlooking one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved sites–Snow Lake. The workshop is meant to be an introductory course for beginners and a skills-building opportunity for artists with some experience dabbling in watercolors or painting more broadly.

After a moderate hike up to the viewpoint, we’ll break for lunch and transition to the watercolor workshop. We’ll end with prayer, a reflection activity, and hike back to the trailhead. 

Artist Talha will offer group-based and personalized instruction so that you can:

• Learn the basics of watercolor (wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and dry-dry techniques)

• Learn how to paint landscapes–trees, lakes, and mountains 

• Complete one full landscape painting that you can take home with you!

• A 16-color Semi-Moist Watercolor Paint Set 

• A Watercolor Brush

• 12-Sheet 9” x 12” Wirebound Paper Pad

• Your own 9” x 12” watercolor landscape painting of Snow Lake!

• Your own set of all the materials listed above – so that you can carry on with the craft and continually fortify your fitrah outdoors with creativity! 

• A free 5” x 7” print of one of Artist Talha’s recent watercolor paintings!

• A sound heart and big smile on your face!

Did we mention hot chocolate? Oh yeah, we’ve got that covered too! There’s nothing like a cup of hot chocolate after climbing up a trail and gazing down upon a stunning glacial lake below!

The hike does not require any specialty equipment. Some may prefer to use hiking boots and poles, however, neither are necessary for this trail.

• Comfortable walking shoes (hiking boots if you have them)

• Multiple warm layers, including a hat and glove  (we will be painting on a ridgeline for a few hours, so pack for winter temperatures and all potential elements as a precautionary measure), so plan to sit outside for 3 hours at a time 

• Rain jacket

• Day pack / backpack etc.

• A full reusable water bottle / water bladder

• A small, lightweight cushion / pillow / object to sit on

• Lunch & snacks 

The trail is considered moderate and gradual, until the last .3 miles when there is more significant elevation change. The path is used by hundreds of people each day and does not require any significant technical skill. The hike will be challenging for those who do not regularly exercise. If you have any questions about the fitness level recommended for participation, please email Fitrah Outdoors at info@fitrahoutdoors.com.

See you out on trail!

9:30 AM - Meet in the Alpental Ski Resort parking lot

9:45 AM - Introductions / Grounding Activity

10:00 AM - Hike 1,253 feet over 2.2 miles to a beautiful overlook of Snow Lake (the parking lot is 3,138 feet, and the overlook is 4,391 feet)

11:45 AM - Arrive at Viewpoint / Eat Packed Lunch

12:15 PM - Watercolor Workshop

3:00 PM - Prayer (Dhohr & Asr Combined)

3:15 PM - Facilitated Reflection 

3:30 PM - Return Hike to Parking Lot

4:30 PM - Closing

4:45 PM - Departure

On Sunday, October 5, participants will meet the group at the Alpental Ski Resort Parking Lot at 9:30 AM. The meet-up point is almost exactly a 1-hour drive from downtown Seattle.

If you do not have transportation to the meet-up location, we cannot 100% guarantee that other participants can provide a ride, however, in our experience carpooling is easily available, particularly from the Seattle Metro Area. We will create a WhatsApp group in advance of the program so that participants can self-select for carpooling.

Artist Talha Baig

As an artist who creates with a deep sense of reverence, using nature as both inspiration and guide; my aim is to spark connection, gratitude, and stewardship through art.

Nature, for me, serves as my ultimate muse, which fuels my artistic fire and keeps me creating. It is my hope and prayer that through my art I can inspire people to grow a deep sense of respect for our natural world and encourage all who resonate with my art, to venture outside more often to contemplate and experience the wonderful nature we are all blessed with – and hopefully by doing so, form a deeper and stronger connection with the natural world, with ourselves, and the Creator.

Being a 2nd-generation Pakistani Muslim American, I also draw on my Islamic heritage by incorporating Islamic geometry and calligraphy into my wood-burned art. I plan to share the deep and rich Islamic Arts tradition with the Seattle community and beyond.

All of my artwork is handmade in the heart of PNW and is rooted in a love for the great outdoors, in tradition, and connection.

All are invited to slow down and reconnect.

-Talha

Sulayman Christopher

Sulayman's love for the outdoors began through skating on frozen ponds, sledding down park hills, and playing in his childhood backyard in Madison, Wisconsin (or Teejop—"Four Lakes"—the ancestral area of the Ho-Chunk Nation). His passions include backcountry skiing, bikepacking, and gathering diverse people together in the outdoors to remember the Divine. Sulayman is the Founder of Fitrah Outdoors, Co-Founder of Muslim-Indigenous Circle, and Principal of Sea to Sea Consulting. He currently resides in Seattle (ancestral Duwamish territory) with his wife and humble Laser sailboat named Baraka. 

Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect Policy: From the time we gather as a group in the parking lot until our return to the same parking lot in the afternoon, Fitrah Outdoors staff will store all electronic devices in a secure and weather-proof bag.  Fitrah Outdoors program staff will have access to mobile phones at all times and at least one staff member will be reachable in the event of an emergency, in'shaAllah.  *please note that accommodations can be made for extenuating circumstance such as medical emergencies and other requirements (e.g. blood sugar monitoring etc). 


What's the Purpose? Fitrah Outdoors’ Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect Policy applies to all programs, and is offered as a unique opportunity to build connection, both inwardly and outwardly, with other people, other creations, and to regenerate one’s own fitrah. Throughout the trip, Fitrah Outdoors program staff will be taking a plethora of high quality individual, group, and scenery photos (and a few short videos), and will share with the group. This allows participants to center their attention on each moment.

We understand that this can seem strange or even scary for participants. In our experience, it is often those who are initially the most skeptical of the Digital Disconnect & Fitrah Reconnect policy who end up being the most appreciative for their experience at the end of the program.

Nisa, a participant from the Fitrah Farm Stay Program in Pescadero, California, recently commented: "Fitrah Outdoors’ carefully curated experience allowed us to unplug from the noise of daily life and truly connect to our primordial self. We were fueled by nutrient dense meals, mindful practices, and the reset to my system was felt for months afterwards."